CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
THE HAUNT OF THE OUTLAWS.
After riding through the Blue Fork Charlie and Buck Tom came to astretch of open ground of considerable extent, where they could rideabreast, and here the latter gave the former some account of thecondition of Shank Leather.
"Tell me, Ritson," said Charlie, "what you mean by Shank `nearly' and`not quite' belonging to your band."
The outlaw was silent for some time. Then he seemed to make up his mindto speak out.
"Brooke," he said, "it did, till this night, seem to me that all thebetter feelings of my nature--whatever they were--had been blotted outof existence, for since I came to this part of the world the cruelty andinjustice that I have witnessed and suffered have driven me todesperation, and I candidly confess to you that I have come to hatepretty nigh the whole human race. The grip of your hand and tone ofyour voice, however, have told me that I have not yet sunk to the lowestpossible depths. But that is not what I mean to enlarge on. What Iwish you to understand is, that after Shank and I had gone to the dogs,and were reduced to beggary, I made up my mind to join a band of men wholived chiefly by their wits, and sometimes by their personal courage.Of course I won't say who they are, because we still hang together, andthere is no need to say what we are. The profession is variously named,and not highly respected.
"Shank refused to join me, so we parted. He remained for some time inNew York doing odd jobs for a living. Then he joined a small party ofemigrants, and journeyed west. Strange to say, although the country iswide, he and I again met accidentally. My fellows wanted to overhaulthe goods of the emigrants with whom he travelled. They objected. Afight followed in which there was no bloodshed, for the emigrants fledat the first war-whoop. A shot from one of them, however, wounded oneof our men, and one of theirs was so drunk at the time of the flightthat he fell off his horse and was captured. That man was Shank. Irecognised him when I rode up to see what some of my boys werequarrelling over, and found that it was the wounded man wanting to shovehis knife into Shank.
"The moment I saw his face I claimed him as an old chum, and had himcarried up to our headquarters in Traitor's Trap. There he has remainedever since, in a very shaky condition, for the fall seems to haveinjured him internally, besides almost breaking his neck. Indeed Ithink his spine is damaged,--he recovers so slowly. We have tried topersuade him to say that he will become one of us when he gets well, butup to this time he has steadily refused. I am not sorry; for, to saytruth, I don't want to force any one into such a line of life--and hedoes not look as if he'd be fit for it, or anything else, for many a dayto come."
"But how does it happen that you are in such straits just now?" askedCharlie, seeing that Buck paused, and seemed unwilling to make furtherexplanations.
"Well, the fact is, we have not been successful of late; no chances havecome in our way, and two of our best men have taken their departure--oneto gold-digging in California, the other to the happy hunting grounds ofthe Redskin, or elsewhere. Luck, in short, seems to have forsaken us.Pious folk," he added, with something of a sneer, "would say, no doubt,that God had forsaken us."
"I think pious people would not say so, and they would be wrong if theydid," returned Charlie. "In my opinion God never forsakes any one; butwhen His creatures forsake him He thwarts them. It cannot be otherwiseif His laws are to be vindicated."
"It may be so. But what have I done," said Buck Tom fiercely, "to meritthe bad treatment and insufferable injustice which I have received sinceI came to this accursed land? I cannot stand injustice. It makes myblood boil, and so, since it is rampant here, and everybody has beenunjust to me, I have made up my mind to pay them back in their own coin.There seems to me even a spice of justice in that."
"I wonder that you cannot see the fallacy of your reasoning, Ritson,"replied Charlie. "You ask, `What have I done?' The more appropriatequestion would be, `What have I _not_ done?' Have you not, according toyour own confession, rebelled against your Maker and cast Him off; yetyou expect Him to continue His supplies of food to you; to keep up yourphysical strength and powers of enjoying life, and, under the name ofLuck, to furnish you with the opportunity of breaking His own commandsby throwing people in your way to be robbed! Besides which, have younot yourself been guilty of gross injustice in leading poor weak ShankLeather into vicious courses--to his great, if not irreparable, damage?I don't profess to teach theology, Ralph Ritson, my old friend, but I dothink that even an average cow-boy could understand that a rebel has noclaim to forgiveness--much less to favour--until he lays down his armsand gives in."
"Had any other man but you, Charlie Brooke, said half as much as youhave just said to me, I would have blown his brains out," returned theoutlaw sternly.
"I'm very glad no other man did say it, then," returned Charlie, "foryour hands must be sufficiently stained already. But don't let angerblind you to the fact, Ralph, that you and I were once old friends; thatI am your friend still, and that, what is of far greater importance, theAlmighty is still your friend, and is proving His friendship bythwarting you."
"You preach a strange doctrine," said Buck Tom, laughing softly, "butyou must end your sermon here in the meantime, for we have reached theentrance to Traitor's Trap, and have not room to ride further abreast.I will lead, and do you follow with care, for the path is none o' thesafest. My asking you to follow me is a stronger proof than you maythink that I believe in your friendship. Most strangers whom I escortup this gorge are usually requested to lead the way, and I keep myrevolver handy lest they should stray from the track!"
The defile or gorge which they had reached was not inappropriatelynamed, for, although the origin of the name was unknown, the appearanceof the place was eminently suggestive of blackness and treachery. Twospurs of the mountain range formed a precipitous and rugged valleywhich, even in daylight, wore a forbidding aspect, and at night seemedthe very portal to Erebus.
"Keep close to my horse's tail," said Buck Tom, as they commenced theascent. "If you stray here, ever so little, your horse will break hisneck or legs."
Thus admonished, our hero kept a firm hand on the bridle, and closed upas much as possible on his guide. The moon was by this time cloudedover, so that, with the precipitous cliffs on either side, and the greatmass of the mountains further up, there was only that faint sombreappearance of things which is sometimes described as darkness visible.The travellers proceeded slowly, for, besides the danger of straying offthe path, the steepness of the ascent rendered rapid motion impossible.After riding for about three miles thus in absolute silence, they cameto a spot where the track became somewhat serpentine, and Charlie couldperceive dimly that they were winding amongst great fragments of rockwhich were here and there over-canopied by foliage, but whether of treesor bushes he could not distinguish. At last they came to a halt infront of what appeared to be a cliff.
"Dismount here," said Buck in a low voice, setting the example.
"Is this the end of our ride?"
"It is. Give me the bridle. I will put up your horse. Stand where youare till I return."
The outlaw led the horses away, leaving his former friend andschoolfellow in a curious position, and a not very comfortable frame ofmind. When a man is engaged in action--especially if it be exciting andslightly dangerous--he has not time to think much about hissurroundings, at least about their details, but now, while standingthere in the intense darkness, in the very heart--as he had reason tobelieve--of a robber's stronghold, young Brooke could not helpquestioning his wisdom in having thus thrown himself into the power ofone who had obviously deteriorated and fallen very low since the timewhen in England they had studied and romped together. It was too late,however, to question the wisdom of his conduct. There he _was_, and sohe must make the best of it. He did not indeed fear treachery in hisformer friend, but he could not help reflecting that the reckless andperhaps desperate men with whom that friend was now associated might notbe easy to restrain, especially if they should be
come acquainted withthe fact that he carried a considerable sum of money about him.
He was yet pondering his position when Buck Tom returned.
"Ralph Ritson," he said, laying his hand on the arm of the outlaw,"you'll forgive my speaking plainly to you, I know. With regard toyourself I have not a shadow of doubt that you will act the part of anhonourable host, though you follow a dishonourable calling. But I haveno guarantee that those who associate with you will respect my property.Now, I have a considerable sum of money about me in gold and silver,which I brought here expressly for the benefit of our poor friend ShankLeather. What would you advise me to do in regard to it?"
"Intrust it to my care," said Buck promptly.
Charlie could not see the outlaw's face very clearly, but he couldeasily detect the half-amused half-mocking tone in which the suggestionwas made.
"My good fellow," said Charlie, in a hearty voice, "you evidently thinkI am afraid to trust you. That is a mistake. I do not indeed trust toany remnant of good that is in your poor human nature, but I haveconfidence in the good feeling which God is arousing in you just now. Iwill freely hand over the money if you can assure me that you can guardit from your comrades."
"_This_ will make it secure from _them_," returned Buck, with a shortdefiant laugh.
"Humph" exclaimed Charlie with a shrug. "I've not much confidence in_that_ safeguard. No doubt, in certain circumstances, and on certainoccasions, the revolver is a most important and useful instrument, but,taking it all round, I would not put much store by it. When you met meat the Blue Fork to-night, for instance, of what use was my revolver tome? And, for the matter of that, after you had dropped it on the roadof what use was yours to you? It only wants one of your fellows to havemore pluck and a quicker eye and hand than yourself to dethrone you atonce."
"Well, none of my fellows," returned Buck Tom good-humouredly, "happento have the advantage of me at present, so you may trust me and countthis as one o' the `certain occasions' on which a revolver is a mostimportant instrument."
"I dare say you are right," responded Charlie, smiling, as he drew fromthe breast of his coat a small bag and handed it to his companion.
"You know exactly, of course, how much is here?" asked Buck Tom.
"Yes, exactly."
"That's all right," continued Buck, thrusting the bag into the bosom ofhis hunting coat; "now I'll see if any o' the boys are at home.Doubtless they are out--else they'd have heard us by this time. Justwait a minute."
He seemed to melt into the darkness as he spoke. Another minute and here-appeared.
"Here, give me your hand," he said; "the passage is darkish at first."
Charlie Brooke felt rather than saw that they had passed under a portalof some sort, and were advancing along a narrow passage. Soon theyturned to the left, and a faint red light--as of fire--became visible inthe distance. Buck Tom stopped.
"There's no one in the cave but _him_, and he's asleep. Follow me."
The passage in which they stood led to a third and shorter one, wherethe light at its extremity was intense, lighting up the whole of theplace so as to reveal its character. It was a corridor about seven feethigh and four feet wide cut out of the solid earth; arched in the roofand supported here and there by rough posts to make it still moresecure. Charlie at once concluded that it led to one of those concealedcaverns, of which he had heard more than once while crossing thecountry, the entrances of which are made in zig-zag form in order toprevent the possibility of a ray of light issuing from the outsideopening.
On reaching the end of the third passage he found that his conjecturewas right, for the doorway or opening on his left hand conducted into aspacious cave, also hollowed out of the earth, but apparently against aperpendicular cliff, for the inner end of it was of unhewn rock. Theroof of the cave was supported by pillars which were merely sections ofpine-trees with the bark left on. These pillars and the earthen wallswere adorned with antlers, skulls, and horns of the Rocky mountainsheep, necklaces of grizzly-bear's claws, Indian bows and arrows,rifles, short swords, and various other weapons and trophies of thechase, besides sundry articles of clothing. At the inner end of thecave a large fireplace and chimney had been rudely built, and in thiswas roaring the pine-wood fire which had lighted them in, and whichcaused the whole interior to glow with a vivid glare that seemed tosurpass that of noon-day.
A number of couches of pine-brush were spread round the walls, and onone of these lay a sleeping figure. The face was turned towards thevisitor, who saw at a glance that it was that of his former friend andplaymate--but it was terribly changed. Hard toil, suffering, sickness,dissipation, had set indelible marks on it, and there was a slight curveabout the eyebrows which gave the idea of habitual pain. Yet strange tosay, worn and lined though it was, the face seemed far more attractiveand refined than it had ever been in the days of robust health.
Buck Tom went to the fire and began to stir the contents of a big potthat hung over it, while Charlie advanced and stood for some minutesgazing at the countenance of his friend, unwilling to disturb hisslumbers, yet longing to cheer him with the glad news that he had cometo succour him. He chanced, however, to touch a twig of the pinebranches on which the sleeper lay, and Shank awoke instantly, raisedhimself on one elbow, and returned his friend's gaze earnestly, butwithout the slightest symptom of surprise.
"O Charlie," he said at last in a quiet voice, "I wish you hadn't cometo me to-night."
He stopped, and Charlie felt quite unable to speak, owing to intensepity, mingled with astonishment, at such a reception.
"It's too bad of you," Shank went on, "worrying me so in my dreams. I'mweary of it; and if you only knew what a _terrible_ disappointment it isto me when I awake and don't find you there, you wouldn't tantalise meso. You always look so terribly real too! Man, I could almost pledgemy life that you are no deception this time, but--but I'm so used to itnow that--"
"Shank, my dear boy," said Charlie, finding words at last, "it _is_ nodeception--"
He stopped abruptly; for the intense look of eager anxiety, doubt, andhope in the thin expressive face alarmed him.
"Charlie!" gasped, rather than said, the invalid, "you--you never_spoke_ to me before in my dreams, and--you never _touched_--the grip ofyour strong h--O God! _can_ it be true?"
At this point Buck Tom suddenly left off his occupation at the fire andwent out of the cave.